


'Loading... Please wait.'

by Eternal_Garbage_of_a_Spotless_Mind



Series: Alternative Universes Of All Shapes and Sizes [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternative Universe - Gaming, Bromance, Character Creation, F/M, Gaming, Gen, Implied Angst, MMORPGs, Not Beta Read, implied crushes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 06:58:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7350601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eternal_Garbage_of_a_Spotless_Mind/pseuds/Eternal_Garbage_of_a_Spotless_Mind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Watch the personalities of Cullen and Alistair unveil as they do something extremely simple - trying to choose what character Cullen should play in the Dragon Age RPG.</p><p>(Even though the relationship is tagged as such, only minor one - sided attraction is mentioned. See more in A/N within :) )</p>
            </blockquote>





	'Loading... Please wait.'

**Author's Note:**

> The vision came to me ~~on the mountain top~~ in the shower. I am a sucker for AU's. This one is rather tame and boring but I wanted to do it anyway. As you can see, I tagged the pairings. At this point they are just crushes but if I ever decide to drabble within this AU, these pairings are the ones I will be going with. Lemme tell you, Lavinia is one sassy lady.
> 
> Alistair/Cullen is a bromance pairing. Tho if someone requests a Bromance to Friendship, I am willing to see what I can do ^^
> 
> And lastly, if you like my works, I am open for prompts. Find me at [thegoldensheepofhonnleath.tumblr.com](http://thegoldensheepofhonnleath.tumblr.com/) (it is very sad and empty right now but this is where I plan to put all my Cullen brain vomit on)
> 
> And I do mean I am open for prompts. WEIRD AUs, HIT ME PLZ.

The files had finally done installing and loading. Cullen rubbed his cheek and clicked on the big ‘Play’ button encased in the runic decor similar to the dwarven architecture he had seen in the history books. The screen turned black and Cullen felt his heart sinking - his desktop was old, to say the least. He was sure the game would run – albeit on the lowest settings - he had checked the requirements. But there had always been that small voice in the back of his head telling him it will fail. Burst into flames, short - circuit the whole house…Truth be told, more often than not the voice was not referring to the poor ancient computer _whatsoever_.

His finger hovered tentatively above the reset button but just then the speakers came to life, soft music drawing his attention to the screen. Speckles of golden dust had fluttered about and had finally come together to form the title - 'Dragon Age', soft feminine voice narrating the prologue.

"Maker, I must be dreaming ," a voice drawled in his right ear, making Cullen wince in surprise and push away from the desk to face Alistair, his ever - nosing roommate. "Basement dweller."

"Says the person who had been religiously playing this very game for how long? Several months now?"

They have met during their student years and much later their paths had crossed again, forcing them to stick together, for the life in the capital was anything but cheap and breezy. Both had humble origins and, while Alistair did brag about having some loose ties to - now long forgotten - nobility, Cullen paid him no mind. Alistair yapped a lot and with much enthusiasm, his words strictly to be taken with a grain of salt. Failing to do so could result in an uncontrollable desire to throw the sodding man out of the window.

Despite all, the friendship worked for the mutual benefit. Cullen himself was studious and introverted type, who did his best either under pressure or abiding direct orders. However, relaxing had always been difficult and that is where Alistair came in handy, often pulling his friend away from mountains of paperwork that never seemed to dwindle. Cullen, in turn, offered Alistair discipline and support he so lacked for, in truth, all the bravado and charm were nothing but thickly layered camouflage to hide his multiple insecurities and shortcomings. 

In layman's terms - Alistair did not know how to 'adult'. He had spent most of his young life in an orphanage, being either ignored or bullied. The sisters had provided him with an adequate education but once he hit sixteen he became 'too old' and could no longer occupy the premises. How, in Maker's name, Alistair had managed to stumble his way into the police academy and land a placement within it had been the new mystery for the ages. The man thought himself lucky. Cullen, meanwhile, suspected that the noble line Alistair claimed to be a part of had somehow been around to pull some strings. After all, even the orphanage his friend grew up in was - by far - not the worst of what Thedas had to offer.

"Right, who are you making then?" Alistair poked his long nose into the screen, breadcrumbs from his sandwich hitting the keyboard. With an irritated grunt Cullen nudged his friend's hand away and scrolled through the available races, finally stopping at the comfortably familiar one, which was that of a human.

"Who did _you_ make?" he asked hesitantly, while playing around with the character's features.

"Well, _I_ did not go for a blatant self - insert, if that’s what you’re asking," Alistair said and snickered, making Cullen focus on what he was doing. The character customization in the game was rather simplistic but even so, the sturdy - built blond hazel - eyed male was recognizable enough.

"I just like relating to my characters, it's - " he said finally, pursing his lips together in a vague attempt to hide his discomfort with Alistair's thinly - veiled trolling.

"I made this human," Alistair interrupted, his eyes getting the all - too - familiar dreamy glint in them. "Tall -, "

"Redhead," Cullen stopped his friend, rubbing own temples slowly. “Fiery green - eyed woman by the name of Solona. How's Miss Amell doing, by the way?"

That hit the spot. Alistair pulled away, his face reddening at the frightful speed as he struggled to swallow the piece of bread he had been chewing on. Solona Amell was a receptionist at the local precinct and for quite a while Alistair had a puppy crush on her he could do nothing about.

Alistair was the first to become the policeman in Denerim, though climbing the ranks had not been something he was good at. Five years later Cullen had joined him, a transferee from the Kirkwall PD which had been dissolved due to the corruption scandal that had shaken the whole Thedas.

“She is doing mighty fine,” Alistair squeezed out, looking redder then the finest beets on the market. “Heard anything from Knight - Captain Trevelyan, hmm?”

Unlike his friend, Cullen was not a blusher. Stuttering, however, would always betray his relatively calm exterior. Lavinia Trevelyan had captivated detective Rutherford from the first moment he had laid his eyes on her. He, of course, told no – one but Alistair had a sixth sense for juicy information. That and his friend had confessed that Cullen talks in his sleep quite often.

“W- what class were you?” Cullen had changed the subject swiftly, tapping on the screen as the cursor hovered over the choices. Alistair hummed and side – eyed his friend. 

“Any class can be a Warden. Only Warrior can be a Templar.”

“Oh, let me guess, you were a Warden, weren’t you?”

“Maker be my witness, that is the most interesting storyline,” Alistair stated. “I got to kill the Archdemon. There is also that other story,” Alistair scratched his head, trying to remember. “Peasant turned Mercenary, turned the destroyer of everything they loved and cared about. Very depressing. But I _need_ that achievement.”

Cullen pondered for a moment. He was not the one for the fairy – tales and the Warden story seemed to be filled to the brim with the mythology of old. As to that Peasant’s story, life was grim enough and adding more to the sadness was highly undesirable. 

“There is also the Inquisitor, a Chosen One of the Chosenest, I kid you not. I hear that if you play the Peasant or the Templar you will be involved later on. But I’ve _also_ heard the game is so Ez Mode that there is no challenge. I will get to it, eventually, but – “

The cursor stopped at the Templar. _They_ were the real thing. The military and, to an extent, the police force had evolved from the Order. The purpose and the policies had changed but the spirit and the values had remained. Cullen nodded to himself and selected the career.

“Are you sure?” Alistair sounded meek for some reason. “It is connected to the mages…”

“All the better, then.” Cullen answered slowly, his friend’s comment strengthening his resolve. 

“It might, um, might strike a chord with you, regarding some,” Alistair paused, unsure if he should say anything else. “Events. There is some things in Kirkwall, that are just – “ he fell silent, watching Cullen stubbornly typing what looked like his own name. “Maker, at least call your character something else!”

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch,” Cullen waved Alistair away. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

And with these words he pressed the ‘Play’ button.


End file.
